How to Make a Dorm Into a Tiny Apartment

1 Turn Your Bed Into a Couch

Sugar & Cloth shows how to turn a single bed into a couch with the addition of some throw pillows. We have plenty more bed styling tricks for small spaces, too!

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2 Decorate the Dresser

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

Most college dorm rooms include a standard-issue dresser. To customize a dresser as one might in a tiny apartment, add personal details like A Beautiful Mess's colorful vanity accessories.

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3 Cover the Dorm Floor

Image Source: Justin Bernhaut for Domino

The floors in any dorm have likely seen better days. Just as if the home were your own, bring in a special rug to customize the room, but don't spend a fortune on a piece you likely won't keep forever.

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4 Pack a Pouf

Image Source: M Loves M

To make a dorm room as comfy as an apartment, add an ottoman or pouf to serve as a footstool, a small table, or a welcoming place for new friends to sit.

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5 Elevate Your Coffee Routine

Image Source: A Beautiful Mess

A truly comfortable home means not having to go outside for a cup of coffee! Bring a French press to the dorms, along with preground beans and the same water heater everyone uses for Ramen, to prepare coffee with a set up similar to that seen on A Beautiful Mess.

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6 Make Wall Hangings Functional

Image Source: Sugar & Cloth

Making the most of every inch in tiny apartments and dorm rooms means using even the space on the wall. We love Sugar & Cloth's DIY pegboard project, which will make wall space handy for storage and temporarily mounted art.

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7 Have a Proper Table Setting

Image Source: West Elm

Whether in a dorm room or tiny apartment, some meals are consumed solo and at home. Instead of eating from containers or right out of the pizza box, make mealtime special by packing a full table setting.

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8 Bring a Tablecloth

Image Source: Sarah Hearts

Make a dorm rager more like a sophisticated cocktail party by throwing a tablecloth over your desk. It'll come in handy for impromptu picnics too.

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9 Hang Chic Drapes

Image Source: Hello Lidy

Nothing makes a place look lived-in like a set of drapes. Customize a pair of inexpensive white panels for a window treatment that will class up a dorm room.

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10 Take Along a Tray

Image Source: Paul Costello for Domino

A tray is one of the most important accessories for people living in small spaces. A tray will serve to organize items on a desk, but can be used for meals in bed and as a platter when friends come over.

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11 Learn to Love a Good Throw

Image Source: Love Grows Wild

A throw like the one seen on Love Grows Wild will make nights in or study sessions more cozy, whether in a dorm or tiny apartment.

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